Woods feeling good about game, health, life

Tiger Woods said Wednesday he is fresh and healthier than he’s been in years to start a season, which would seem to bode well for his 2011 debut this week in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

Tickets are $32 at the gate today through Sunday. Seniors (60 and older) pay $21 at the gate for any day. A season badge, good for the entire week, is $120. You may also buy tickets online, at a lower rate, by going to the tournament Web site, www.farmersinsuranceopen.com/tickets.

Military members and dependents will be admitted free with a current Department of Defense identification card. Military personnel and their immediate families also will have free access to the Military Appreciation Pavilion, located next to the 14th green on the South Course. The pavilion is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

Field

This year’s field will consist of 156 players. Each player will play a round on the North and South courses Thursday and Friday. After the Friday cut to the low 70 players and ties, all play will be on the South Course.

Prize money

The tournament purse is $5.8 million, up $500,000 from last year. First place will be worth $1,044,000. Both amounts are records for the tournament.

Parking

Parking is free today at the Glider Port adjacent to the South Course.

Beginning Thursday, fans may park at the Del Mar Show Park or Qualcomm Stadium and take the shuttle. Shuttle lot parking is $20 per vehicle for round-trip service, which runs from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

“I think it’s nice to have an offseason where I wasn’t in pain and recovering from something,” Woods said in packed news conference. "… This was nice to actually practice and build. It was something I haven’t been able to do. That’s been fun. Hopefully I can continue this.”

Woods is making his first appearance at Torrey Pines in nearly three years. He has won four straight PGA Tour events here and six overall. In his last competition at Torrey Pines he won the 2008 U.S. Open in a playoff over Rocco Mediate. He missed the ’09 Buick Invitational while recovering from knee surgery and was not here last year because of his sex scandal.

Woods is looking for his first PGA Tour win since 2009. He finished 69th on last year’s money list.

After the news conference, Woods was heading out to play in the pro-am. He arrived at Torrey Pines for the first time Wednesday morning. He didn’t play a practice round Tuesday.

“I had some things to do at home (in Florida) and worked on those things at home, took care of those and came out here,” Woods said.

Of being paired with his Open foe, Mediate, Woods said with a smile: “I don’t know how the computer did that. It’s kind of a surprise isn’t it?

“I’m looking forward to it. Rocco and I have obviously had a little bit of history here. … I’ve known him since my rookie year and he’s been great to me. It’s going to be a lot of fun going out there and playing with him and A.K. (Anthony Kim).”

Woods had a cortisone injection because of swelling in his ankle after playing in the Chevron World Challenge in December, but he said he is feeling healthy now. He said it’s been six years since he felt this good.

“It was nice to have a true offseason and work on my game,” he said.

Asked about where golf is now on his list of priorities, Woods said, “The thing is that I obviously was consumed by other things in the last year and had to deal with that. That is what’s most exciting about this year … having the proper perspective on things. And my kids are doing great, and that’s my number one priority. Golf falls somewhere down the list after that.”

Woods begins play at 9 a.m. Thursday on the 10th tee of the North Course.